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Georgia beats Georgia Tech in women's basketball

ATLANTA — Georgia’s latest trip to Georgia Tech went a lot better than the previous two.

Jasmine Hassell scored 22 points and the No. 8 Lady Bulldogs held the Yellow Jackets to 30.2 percent shooting in a 60-50 victory over their in-state rival Sunday.

Georgia (9-0) leads the series 31-4, but had lost in Atlanta 57-42 in 2009 and 69-53 in 2011.

“I don’t think there was any extra emphasis. Any time we go away, we know it is going to be a tough road win,” Hassell said. “But it does feel good to come in here and win, especially for the seniors.”

Hassell made 10 of 13 shots from the floor and pulled down seven rebounds. The 6-foot-2 senior scored a career-best 24 points in a home victory over Georgia Tech last season and has hit 19 of her last 23 shots against the Yellow Jackets.

“I think they should hang up a picture of her,” Georgia coach Andy Landers joked.

Georgia Tech (3-4) cut an 18-point deficit to six points with less than two minutes left, but Hassell hit a layup and Khaalidah Miller went 4 for 4 from the foul line in the final minute for the Lady Bulldogs.

“Overall we played hard,” Hassell said. “But we let up in our press offense in the second half and got a little sloppy.”

Georgia led 27-14 at halftime after limiting Georgia Tech to 20 percent shooting. The Yellow Jackets made just three of their first 21 shots while falling behind 19-6 and then the Lady Bulldogs scored the last eight points of the half after Georgia Tech got within 19-14.

Aaliyah Whiteside, a freshman, hit a trio of 3-pointers to spark Georgia Tech’s late comeback and scored all of her 14 points in the second half. Tyaunna Marshall had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Yellow Jackets.

Dawn Maye, Georgia Tech’s leading scorer at 17.7 per game, finished with just two points on 1-for-9 shooting, but did have a game-best eight assists. Jasmine Blain was 0 for 10 and Sydney Wallace was 0 for 7.

“I felt like Georgia did a great job of taking us out of our transition game and making us play in a half-court game, very slow tempo,” Georgia Tech coach MaChelle Joseph said.

The Lady Bulldogs hadn’t been challenged since the season opener, when they defeated Rutgers 57-51. They had won their other games by an average of more than 25 points.

“We want all the competition you can get,” Landers said. “You want to be tested.”

Georgia has one more game before a break for semester exams, facing Mercer at home on Tuesday.

Georgia Tech, which lost at No. 14 Purdue on Wednesday, continues a difficult stretch at No. 4 Duke next Thursday in its ACC opener.

“It’s a difficult early-season schedule and I have to take responsibility for that,” Joseph said. “The four losses we have are all to Top 25 teams. So we don’t have a bad loss at this point of the season, but it doesn’t get any easier for us.”